Kotor

Kotor has got one of the best preserved medieval Old Towns in the Adriatic and is a double Unesco World Heritage Site. No sun when we visited, but still beautiful –

When you visit this old town, you will immediately notice how many cats there are… Lonely Planet even goes so far as featuring Kotor in their Top 10 destinations for cat lovers! So, the Venetian Lion, symbol of the city, has more or less been replaced by a smaller variety – a stray cat.

Today they have dedicated an open square to the cats, and made small houses for them to stay in the park. Even with free WiFi…

The attitude towards cats is said to have developed from folklore, with the Montenegrin people holding the belief that cats saved the town of Kotor. It is reported that in 1918, during the revolt from the Austro-Hungarian navy, the Slav sailors would bring their ships into The Bay of Kotor, and with them, also their cats.

Kotor in those days was plagued by lots of mice, rats and snakes, and the various diseases those animals brought. Thus it became a blessing to have the cats there, to protect the town. And that is why cats have become a symbol of good luck for Montenegro.

Walking through the narrow lanes, I did try to find a dog or two…but the only sign (!) of one was – MILO. My own dog – it’s just that this Milo was a restaurant…